Clematis plant named &#39;Evipo049&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, near white flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Genus: Clematis

Species: viticella

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Evipo049’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2001 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo049’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent and male pollen parent have pure white flowers, while the new variety has near white flowers.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

1. Uniform and abundant near white flowers;

2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for container culture; and

3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo049’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 2002. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo049’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 2002. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo049’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo049’. Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages of development, flower in parts, leaves, and stems. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo049’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Yamhill County Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Poulala’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,990 are compared to ‘Evipo049’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo049’ ‘Poulala’ Flower diameter 150 mm 130 mm Tepal upper White Group N155A Yellow Group 10D surface after with light intonations opening of Violet-Blue Group 92B. Tepal count 8 6 to 8

-   Flower and flower bud: -   Blooming habit: Continuous. The natural flowering period is     generally from May to September. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—Normally 55 mm in length. Bud diameter is 23 mm.         -   Bud form.—Elliptic.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Bud color.—Yellow-Green Group 150D and Yellow-Green Group             N144D. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.         -   Length.—On average 80 mm.         -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144C.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong. -   Receptacle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.         -   Shape.—Broad funnel.         -   Size.—1 mm (h)×4 mm (w).         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144C. -   Flower arrangement:     -   -   Location on vine.—New and old growth.         -   Borne.—In clusters of 3 to 7 flowers per flowering branch. -   Flower bloom:     -   -   Size.—On average, flowers are 150 mm in diameter and 30 mm             in depth.         -   Profile.—Open flowers are flat.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lasting quality.—Flowers normally remain up to 10 days on             the plant. -   Tepals:     -   -   Tepal color.—The upper surface is White Group N155A with             light intonations of Violet-Blue Group 92B. The lower             surface is White Group N155A with light intonations of             Violet-Blue Group 92B. The lower surface has a central bar             Yellow-White Group 158C.         -   Quantity.—Normally 8 tepals.         -   Size.—80 mm in length by 55 mm wide.         -   Shape.—Individual tepal shape is ovate. The tepal apex is             rounded. The tepal base acuminate.         -   Apex recurvature.—None.         -   Tepal cross section.—Flat.         -   Margins.—Entire. Undulations absent.         -   Persistence.—Tepals drop off cleanly. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Arrangement.—Open.         -   Pollen.—None observed.         -   Anthers.—Size: About 7 mm in length. Color: Greyed-Orange             Group 176B. Quantity: On average, 45.         -   Filaments.—Color: White Group 155B. Length: About 15 mm.         -   Pistils.—Quantity: On average, 20.         -   Styles.—Color: Yellow-White Group 145D. Length: About 15 mm. -   Plant: -   Plant form: Climbing. -   Plant growth: Moderately vigorous. -   Size: Seasons growth attains about 100 cm in height. Average spread     is 50 cm. -   Stems:     -   -   Color.—Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 145B. Mature             stems are Greyed-Red Group 178A.         -   Internodes.—5 to 6 cm between nodes.         -   Length.—Normally 30 cm from the base of the plant to the             flowering portion of the stem.         -   Diameter.—Normally 2 to 4 mm.         -   Texture.—Mature stems are generally smooth. -   Plant foliage:     -   -   Leaf characteristics.—Deciduous.         -   Arrangement.—Trifoliate.         -   Leaf size.—Compound leaves are normally 170 mm (l)×130 mm             (w). Leaflets are normally 55 mm (l)×45 mm (w).         -   Abundance.—On average 2 leaves per 10 cm of stem.         -   Leaf color.—Mature leaf color is Yellow-Green Group 144A             above and Yellow-Green Group 146C underneath. Margins have             intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 183B.         -   Stipules.—Absent.         -   Petioles.—Size: Normally 90 mm in length by mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Purple Group 187A above, and             Yellow-Green Group 145A underneath.         -   Petioloule.—Size: Normally 15 mm in length by mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Purple Group 187A above, and             Yellow-Green Group 145A underneath.         -   Leaflet shape.—Generally cordate. The apex is obtuse. The             base is cordate to rounded.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Surface.—The upper side is smooth. The lower side is smooth.         -   Thickness.—Average.         -   Glossiness.—Not glossy. -   Disease resistance: Subject to any disease that normally attacks the     species. However the variety is more tolerant to clematis wilt,     Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis known to the inventors. -   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone 6. -   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for     climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat     zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo049’, substantially as described and illustrated , due to its abundant near white flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 